Datalink messaging provides an additional channel of communication for pilots, and provides enhanced information flow to and from the flight deck. Indeed, datalink messaging technologies are supplanting traditional radio transmissions as the primary means of communication between aircraft and ground facilities (e.g., air traffic control). However, datalink messaging may adversely impact pilot workload and attention. In particular, recent research suggests that pilot workload may increase due to increased interaction with a display device that is configured to render received datalink messages, and time spent creating, editing, and generally writing datalink messages. Moreover, frequent datalink messages may be a source of pilot distraction on the flight deck.
In addition to the above-mentioned potential impacts, it is postulated that increased datalink message usage could adversely impact pilot situation awareness due to the loss of what is generally known as the “party line effect.” The party line effect refers to information pilots may overhear while monitoring radio communications between ground facilities and other aircraft in the same sector. Pilots often use this “party line information” to establish situational awareness of the air traffic around their own aircraft, to anticipate future instructions from ground facilities, and to obtain knowledge of potential atmospheric hazards.
Hence, there is a need for a system and method to effectively filter incoming datalink messages to support pilot situation awareness and without overloading the pilot with irrelevant and/or non-time-critical datalink messages and/or to tailor datalink message presentation to the current situation, to increase situation awareness and decrease potential information overload. The present invention addresses at least these needs.